System for preparing a beverage from ingredients supported by an encoded insert

ABSTRACT

The invention proposes a device for preparing a beverage from a food substance contained in a capsule ( 24 ) by injection of a liquid into the capsule ( 24 ), wherein said liquid is provided by a pump ( 70 ) of the device, said device comprising an extraction head ( 20 ) having an aperture ( 22 ) for inserting a capsule-holder ( 30 ) providing the capsule ( 24 ) to a capsule-holder receiving chamber ( 25 ) of the device, a closing mechanism ( 21 ) to selectively enclose said capsule ( 24 ) in the capsule-holder receiving chamber ( 25 ), at least one injection member ( 11 ) to supply a liquid received from the pump ( 70 ) to the inside of the capsule ( 24 ), a control unit ( 80 ) for controlling at least the pump ( 70 ) of the device, and decoding means ( 1 ) connected to the control unit ( 80 ) and designed to read information from the capsule-holder ( 30 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for preparing a beverage froma food ingredient provided to a beverage preparation device while beingsupported by an insert. One example are ingredients contained within acapsule, the capsule being inserted into a beverage production devicewhile being supported by a capsule-holder removable from the beverageproduction device. More particularly, the invention relates to a systemfor preparing a beverage from capsules with an encoded insert, such as acapsule-holder, and a device comprising decoding means for interactingwith the encoding means of the insert. The invention relates also to adevice comprising decoding means adapted to receive an encoded insert.The invention also relates to the encoded insert adapted to fit into thedevice. In addition, the invention proposes a capsule-holder comprisinga deflector for deflecting liquid provided to the capsule-holder forcleaning or rinsing purpose of the device.

Devices for preparing a beverage by injecting pressurized fluid into acapsule are well-known, especially in the field of preparing coffee orcoffee type beverages. In addition, other substances such as chocolateor milk products can be extracted or dissolved to form a beverage. Theadvantages of such a system are in particular the conservation andfreshness of the ingredients, as well as the possibility of facilitatingthe operation of preparing the beverage.

The method of preparing the beverages using such a device is inprinciple as follows. The sealed capsule is usually first inserted intoa capsule-holder receiving chamber of the beverage preparation device.After that, a water injecting means such as a needle connected to theliquid supply of the device and which projects inside the capsule-holderreceiving chamber, is introduced through a face or inlet port of thecapsule to inject a hot or cold (ambient or chilled) liquid, in order tomake the liquid interact with the ingredients within the capsule. Theliquid beverage resulting from this interaction is then dischargedthrough another face of the capsule. For instance, the lower face of thecapsule opens due to the internal pressure in the capsule generated byinjecting the liquid allowing the beverage to exit the capsule.

It should be understood that the interaction between the liquid and theingredients within the capsule can be e.g. dissolving, extraction,brewing or the like in order to prepare of beverage by means ofingredients provided within the capsule.

Devices which adapt the above described principle of beveragepreparation may be furnished with a capsule-holder in order to providethe capsule to the device. For instance, EP 1731063 A1 describes acapsule-holder intended to be connected to a beverage preparation systemcomprising an injection member which extends inside a housing of thecapsule-holder which houses a capsule to be provided to the beveragepreparation system. Thus, the capsule does not have to be provided tothe capsule-holder receiving chamber of the device manually which ismore convenient for the user of the device. Moreover, capsule-holderswith different features can be connected to the device e.g. in order tohouse a series of different types of capsules with differentingredients, such as tea, ground coffee, milk or the like. In addition,capsules of different volumes may be provided to the device.

The co-pending European patent applications EP 07103610.7 and EP07103613.1 describe a solution with a removable capsule-holder and inwhich the water injection system is no longer part of the capsule-holderbut is part of the beverage production machine which receives thecapsule-holder.

It is known that the quality of the beverage to be prepared by such adevice is to a great extent influenced by the injection conditions suchas the flow rate, the pressure and/or the temperature of the liquidinjected into the capsule. Depending on the substance within the capsuleto be made to interact with the liquid provided by the device, differentinjection conditions may lead to best results regarding the quality andtaste of the beverage. In particular, an automatic adaptation of thecorrect injection conditions with regard to the type of capsule providedto the device would be desirable as for reasons of convenience andsimplicity.

EP 1440638 A1 discloses a beverage preparation device which comprisesmeans for reading a barcode of a capsule provided to the device. Hence,the injection parameters may be changed by the device in order toprovide a best setup with regard to the type of the capsule provided tothe device. However, the usage of a barcode has the disadvantage thatthe barcode may be damaged or covered with residua or the like andtherefore cannot be read correctly.

In a device which uses a capsule-holder to provide a capsule to thedevice, it would therefore be of particular interest to enable a safetransfer of information between the capsule-holder and the device, inorder to transmit information regarding the capsule or thecapsule-holder to the device. Accordingly, best results in the beveragepreparation process may be obtained.

A disadvantage of the known devices is that even when the capsule-holderis not placed in the support at the liquid supply of the device, thedevice can still be operated since there is no way of determiningwhether the capsule-holder is in the correct position or not. Thus, itwould be particularly desirable to find a way of transmittinginformation regarding the correct positioning of the capsule-holderwithin the drink preparation device.

Furthermore, in conventional devices having a capsule-holder intended tobe connected to the device, the problem of finding the correct lockingposition of the capsule-holder arises. Hence, a user may intend to use aclosing mechanism of the device in order to enclose the capsule-holderand thus the capsule within the capsule-holder receiving chamber of thedevice, but cannot proceed when the capsule-holder is not fully insertedinto the device. Therefore, especially a mechanism is sought-after whichenables a user to easily determine whether the capsule-holder is in itscorrect position or not.

Moreover, the inside of the capsule-holder receiving chamber andparticularly an injection member of the known devices are likely to besubjected to residua of dissolved or solid substance within the capsuleto be pierced. Thus, cleaning of the injection member should beregularly carried out in order to prevent the injection member frombeing blocked and accordingly ensure a correct functioning of theinjection member. Furthermore, cleaning of the capsule-holder receivingchamber and the housing of the capsule provided at the capsule-holder isvery important to ensure a hygienic environment within the device.Hence, a design of a capsule-holder for being connected to the device issought-after which facilitates the maintenance and cleaning of thecapsule-holder receiving chamber and the injection member, as well asthe capsule-holder itself.

In addition, the beverage preparation device may be used for otherpurposes than brewing ingredients contained in the capsule of thecapsule-holder. For instance, the beverage preparation device should beable to be operated for delivering hot or cold water in safe conditions,e.g., at a reduced water pressure and toward a controlled direction, forexample to fill a receptacle to prepare beverages such as tea from teabags. Hence, delivery of water in absence of a capsule-holder should becontrolled so that it does not create hazardous water jets of hot liquidthat could burn the user.

The present invention seeks to address the above described problems. Theinvention also aims at other objects and particularly the solution ofother problems as will appear in the rest of the present description.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention proposes a device for preparing abeverage from an ingredient contained in a capsule by injection of aliquid into the capsule, wherein said liquid is provided by a pump ofthe device, said device comprising an extraction head having an aperturefor inserting a capsule-holder providing the capsule to a capsule-holderreceiving chamber of the device, a closing mechanism to selectivelyenclose said capsule in the capsule-holder receiving chamber, at leastone injection member which is arranged so as to project into thecapsule-holder receiving chamber of the extraction head to supply aliquid received from the pump to the inside of the capsule, a controlunit for controlling at least the pump of the device, and decoding meansconnected to the control unit and designed to read information from thecapsule-holder.

With a device according to the present invention, it is possible toenable an interaction between liquid supplied by the device, moreparticularly by the pump of the device, and ingredients contained in acapsule provided to the device by means of a capsule-holder. Theinternal pressure within the sealed capsule which is built up due to theliquid supply to the capsule causes a lower face of the capsule to openwhich enables the output of the beverage to be prepared. Thereby, theinjection of the liquid provided by the device takes place at an upperface of the capsule which is pierced by the injection member of thedevice. As already described, the output of the beverage to be preparedtakes place at the lower face of the capsule thus, enabling a directflow of the liquid. Accordingly, a receptacle such as a cup can beplaced beneath the capsule in order to receive the beverage to beprepared.

WO 03059778 relates to such a capsule which is preferably used forbeverage preparation with the present device. The capsule contains oneor more ingredients. After the injection of liquid into the capsule, thepouring from the capsule may be delayed in order to provide sufficienttime for the interaction of the liquid and the ingredients containedwithin the capsule. For the pouring of the beverage to be prepared fromthe capsule, opening means may be provided, such as e.g. relief membersthrust against an outlet membrane which open a lower wall of thecapsule. These opening means are activated by the pressure rise withinthe capsule when the liquid is injected. The capsule has amongst othersthe advantage that beverages can be prepared without“cross-contamination” i.e. that a first beverage to be prepared does nottransmit one or more undesired characteristics such as taste, colourand/or odour to a second beverage distributed after the first. Thepresent invention may as well apply to any other food or beveragecartridge, pod or sachet containing ingredient(s) brewed, dissolved ordiluted in a beverage device according to any other principle than WO03059778.

In the context of the invention, the term “capsule” is used to encompassany cartridge, pod or sachet using these other brewing principles.

According to an aspect of the invention, the closing mechanism of thedevice has an open and a closed state. The capsule-holder can only beinserted to or withdrawn from the aperture provided at the extractionhead of the device when the closing mechanism is in an open state. Asthe closing mechanism is connected to the injection member, it causes arelative movement of the injection member and the capsule provided bythe capsule-holder to the capsule-holder receiving chamber of thedevice. Accordingly, by usage of the closing mechanism, the capsuleprovided to the capsule-holder receiving chamber of the device caneffectively be connected, such as by piercing, to the injection memberof the device.

The control unit of the device may be used in order to control at leastthe pump and the heater of the device in order to adjust the operationalparameters during the preparation of the beverage.

As the device is provided with decoding means, it is possible totransmit information such as a code or signal for example from acapsule-holder inserted into the aperture of the extraction head to thedevice. Hence, the decoding means of the device may for example read acode or detect a signal transmitted by the capsule-holder in order todetect the presence of the capsule-holder within the aperture of theextraction head. In a preferred embodiment, the decoding means aresituated within the aperture the capsule-holder is inserted to thus,enabling an interference-free transmission of information from thecapsule-holder to the decoding means. Of course, the decoding means mayas well be located at another position within the extraction head of thedevice.

As the decoding means are connected to the control unit of the device,it is possible to adjust the operation of the control unit due to theinformation read by the decoding means. Accordingly, it is possible toenable an operation of the pump for example depending on the informationread by the decoding means. Moreover, it is possible to adjust theoperational parameters of the pump and the heater for example in orderto influence the beverage preparation with respect to the temperatureand the pressure of the liquid to be supplied to the capsule. Of course,other parameters can be adjusted by the control unit due to theinformation read by the decoding means as well.

This has the advantage that the device can set operational parameters ofthe beverage preparation in response to detection of a certaincapsule-holder. Thus, it is not the capsule which identifies itself, butthe identification can be made through the correspondingly adaptedcapsule-holder, such that e.g. a capsule-holder for coffee capsules canbe distinguished from a capsule-holder e.g. for tea. Accordingly, theextraction time, the extraction pressure and/or the extractiontemperature, etc. can be set depending on the identified capsule-holder.

Moreover, the operation of the device or more particularly of the pumpof the device may be disabled when the encoding means do not identify ordetect the presence of the capsule-holder within the aperture of theextraction head. In a mode, detection of the presence of thecapsule-holder is carried out by creation and detection of a sufficientmagnetic field between the capsule-holder and the extraction head. Thus,a user is prevented from unintentional usage of the device when nocapsule-holder is inserted into the aperture of the extraction head.

It should be understood that the information exchange and/or thedetection of presence of the capsule-holder by the decoding means of thedevice can be a contactless interaction such as a magnetic field or anoptical system such as light or laser emiting/transmiting device.Accordingly, the capsule-holder can be inserted to and withdrawn fromthe aperture of the extraction head without any difficulties. Moreover,a convenient and safe way of interaction between the capsule-holder andthe decoding means is achieved. The interaction between thecapsule-holder and the device present the advantage that the device isless prone to be affected by residua or other substances as if theinteraction is carried out between the capsule itself and the device.Preferably, the capsule-holder and the decoding means of the deviceinteract optically or magnetically. Of course, the capsule-holder andthe decoding means may as well interact in another way such as by amechanical detection means, for instance by specific geometrical formsprovided on the capsule-holder.

In a preferred embodiment the decoding means comprise a Reed sensordesigned to detect a magnetic field. Hence, the decoding means caneasily determine the presence of a capsule-holder when saidcapsule-holder is made of magnetic material or has magnets attached toit.

It should be understood that the transmitted code provided to thedecoding means of the device by the capsule-holder can be anon-programmable or programmable code. Hence, the transmittedinformation respectively the transmitted code is not restricted to onetype. Accordingly, various different interactions between the decodingmeans and the capsule-holder are possible. Hence, the decoding means maybe used to read a plurality of information of the capsule-holder.

In a preferred embodiment, a ferromagnetic material is provided withinthe aperture of the extraction head in order to attract a capsule-holderinserted into the aperture, whereby the capsule-holder is provided withat least one magnet or is made of magnetic material. This embodiment isespecially advantageous because the capsule-holder is drawn andpositioned into its correct position within the aperture due to theattraction of the magnets and ferromagnetic material. Due to theattractive magnetic forces created, the capsule-holder becomesmagnetically locked in the correct position. Hence a feedback signal forthe user of the devices is provided that informs the user that thecapsule-holder has reached its correct position within the aperture. Auser may therefore be prevented from operating the closing mechanism toenclose the capsule when the capsule-holder is not fully inserted intothe aperture of the extraction head. Accordingly, the handling of thedevice for the user is more convenient and easier and it does notrequire specific knowledge for operating the device.

The above described embodiment of the device enables the operation ofthe pump and/or the heater due to the information read by the decodingmeans of the device. Therefore, the supply of liquid to the extractionhead and hence to the injection member when the correct code and/or thepresence of a capsule-holder is not detected.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a system for preparing abeverage from a food substance contained in a single-use capsule byinjection of a liquid into the capsule, comprising a device and, acapsule-holder comprising a receiving means for a capsule, wherein saidliquid is provided by a pump of the device, said device comprising anextraction head having an aperture for inserting a capsule to thecapsule-holder receiving chamber of the device, a closing mechanism toselectively enclose said capsule in the capsule-holder receivingchamber, at least one injection member which is arranged to supply aliquid received from the pump to the inside of the capsule, a controlunit for controlling at least the pump of the device, and decoding meansconnected to the control unit and designed to read information from thecapsule-holder, wherein the control unit enables a liquid supply to thecapsule-holder receiving chamber when no capsule-holder is provided tothe device, wherein the system further comprises an insert comprisingguiding means for engaging in the capsule-holder receiving chamber andencoding means for interacting with the decoding means provided at thedevice.

In one possible mode, the insert is a capsule-holder or aningredient-holder for receiving loose ingredients such as loose groundcoffee. Indeed, the system of the invention can also be designed toreceive an encoded insert which is a mere receptacle adapted to receiveloose ingredients instead of a holder for receiving a capsule. In thatcase, the receptacle may comprise a specific code that informs thebeverage preparation device of the specificity of the insert and/orloose ingredient contained therein so that the device can automaticallyadjust the parameters (pressure, temperature, flow rate, water volume,etc.) for optimally brewing the loose ingredients. It should be notedthat the insert has preferably matching surfaces with an apertureprovided at the device which is designed to receive the insert.Moreover, when the insert is connected to the device, it is preferablyaccessible from outside the device, e.g. a handhold or the like isprovided which enhances the manageability of the insert.

However, in a possible mode, the control unit can enable a liquid supplyto the capsule-holder receiving chamber when no capsule-holder isprovided to the device but another insert that is specifically designedto fit in the device.

For example, the insert can be an element adapted for altering theconditions of the supply of liquid from the injection member. Forexample, the insert may comprise means for reducing the pressure of thesupplied liquid and/or modifying the direction of the jet(s) of thesupplied liquid. These pressure reduction means or means for modifyingthe direction of the supplied jet(s) can be a specifically designedwater injection interface that connects to the injection member. Forexample, the insert may be designed as a shower that splits a singlewater jet of the injection member of the device into a plurality of jetsof reduced pressure.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a capsule-holder designedfor insertion into a device for preparing a beverage from ingredientscontained in a capsule by injection of a liquid within the capsule,comprising a means for receiving a capsule, a handhold for handling thecapsule-holder, and encoding means for interaction with the coding meansprovided at the device the capsule-holder is designed to be inserted to.

With this apparatus, a user can easily provide a capsule housed by themeans for receiving the capsule of the capsule-holder to a device forbeverage preparation. The handhold of the capsule-holder thereby enablesa facilitated handling of the capsule-holder. As encoding means areprovided to the capsule-holder, the capsule-holder may interact with andhence provide information to the device the capsule-holder is designedto be connected to. Thereby, the encoding means may interact optically,magnetically, wirelessly or by mechanical contact with the device. Theencoding means may as well be a geometrical form of the capsule-holderintended to interact with the decoding means of the device.

In a preferred embodiment, the capsule-holder is furnished with at leastone magnet attached to the at least one face of the capsule-holder.Hence, a magnetic interaction between the capsule-holder and a metallicor magnetic part, e.g. a metal sheet, provided inside the capsule-holderreceiving chamber of the device is enabled. More preferably, thecapsule-holder comprises two magnets symmetrically arranged i.e. on bothsides of the front face of the capsule-holder, in order to assure acorrect position of the capsule-holder within the aperture of thedevice. Accordingly, the insertion of such a capsule-holder into anaperture of a beverage preparation device is facilitated, as thecapsule-holder is drawn into the aperture.

The capsule-holder may as well comprise means for detecting and decodinginformation transmitted by an object such as a capsule received by thecapsule-holder. Hence, the capsule-holder may act as an interface orprovide an interface between the capsule and the beverage preparationdevice. Thereby, the information encoded via the capsule-holder may beinformation which is actually triggered, e.g. mechanically from thecapsule, in which case the capsule-holder would simply forwardinformation initially encoded (e.g. mechanically) on the capsule. Forthis purpose, springs, needles, pins or the like may be provided to thecapsule-holder in order to decode information supplied by the capsulereceived. Thus, the capsule-holder may forward information regardinge.g. the size or the volume of the actually inserted capsule via theprovided encoding means. The capsule-holder may as well provideinformation about the ingredients contained within the capsule to thedevice.

In a preferred embodiment, the capsule-holder is further provided with adeflector which is positioned at the inner side of the means forreceiving the capsule. Hence, when the capsule-holder is inserted intothe aperture of the device, a water jet provided by the device or moreparticularly by the pump of the device can be used to wash the innersurface of the means for receiving the capsule. Preferably, thedeflector is designed to reflect a liquid jet that impacts on itssurface in a spray of fan. Accordingly, the inside of the capsule-holderand a lower surface of the injection member being positioned above themeans for receiving the capsule of the capsule-holder when saidcapsule-holder is inserted into the aperture of the device, can beeffectively cleaned.

This is especially advantageous as the cleaning process of thecapsule-holder receiving chamber within the aperture of the extractionhead of the device is facilitated. Thus, a user does not have to cleanthe inside of the capsule-holder receiving chamber and particularly thelower surface of the injection member situated above the capsule-holderreceiving chamber by insertion of a cleaning cloth. Hence, the risk ofthe user getting in contact with the injection member and particularlywith the needle of the injection member is minimized. Thus, an addedquality value of the device especially with regard to the cleaningprocess of the device is attained.

In another preferred embodiment the capsule-holder may as well beequipped with two outlets in order to separate the beverage prepared byinserting the liquid from the device into the capsule. Accordingly, auser may place two receptacles beneath said capsule-holder in order toprepare two equal types of beverage. It may as well be possible todesign a holder having two outlets but no means for receiving a capsule.Accordingly, such a holder may be inserted into the aperture of thedevice in order to redirect the liquid supplied by the injection memberto two cups provided beneath the holder. Such a holder may as well beequipped with means for housing a sieve or a filter in order to holdobjects such as tealeaves within said holder and use the liquid providedby the injection member to prepare a beverage such as tea.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention willbecome apparent for the skilled person when reading the followingdetailed description of embodiments of the present invention, whentaking in conjunction with the figures of the enclosed drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a device for beverage preparation according to the presentinvention in side view.

FIG. 2 shows an extraction head of the machine in side view having anaperture for introducing a capsule-holder.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of a capsule-holder connected to thedevice for beverage preparation when the closing mechanism of the deviceis in a closed state and the needle element pierces the capsule.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of thecapsule-holder having a deflector for deflecting a jet of liquid.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of another embodiment of the capsule-holderhaving two outlets for redirecting the liquid jet provided by thedevice.

FIG. 6 shows an extraction head of the machine in side view having anaperture for introducing an insert forming a water shower.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the insert of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows an extraction head of the machine in a lateral view havingan aperture for introducing an insert according to another variant ofthe invention.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the insert of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a beverage preparation device 50 according to the presentinvention in side view. The device 50 comprises a housing 50 acontaining at least a heater 60, a pump 70 and control means 80. Furtherthe device comprises a reservoir 40 connected to the device, anextraction head 20 and a base 50 f which is preferably provided withfeet for standing the device thereon in a stable manner. The devicefurther comprises a stand 50 d for a receptacle such as a cup having anupper surface 50 e provided with a grid 50 g on which the receptacle ispositioned.

The reservoir 40 is provided in order to supply liquid such as water tothe heater 60 and the pump 70, and hence to the extraction head 20 andthe injection member 10 (not shown in FIG. 1) of the device 50.Preferably, the reservoir 40 is connected to the device in a detachablemanner and has an inlet 40 b in order to insert liquid. It is preferablyprovided with a handhold 40 a for facilitating the handling of thereservoir 40. Thus a user can handle the reservoir 40 in a convenientway. An outlet 40 c which is preferably situated at the bottom of thereservoir 40 enables a connection between the reservoir 40 and thedevice 50.

The extraction head 20 of the device comprises a closing mechanism 21for selectively enclosing a capsule 24 provided to the device 50 in acapsule-holder 30 and a control lever 27 for selectively supplyingeither cold or hot water to the extraction head 20 and hence to thecapsule 24. Thereby, the control lever 27 is connected at least to thecontrol means 80 of the device 50. Hence, the control lever 27 may beswitched over from a neutral position to a first position choosing hotwater or to a second position choosing cold water by moving the controllever 27 to the left or to the right when seen in front-rear directionof the device 50. Accordingly, a user can choose whether to provide coldor hot water to the capsule provided to the device in order to prepare acold or hot beverage. For enabling the movement of the control lever 27the housing 50 a of the device 50 provides a groove 27 a at theextraction head 20 of the device.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a capsule-holder 30 is inserted into anaperture 22 of the extraction head 20 in order to provide a capsule 24housed by holding means 33 for receiving the capsule 24 to thecapsule-holder receiving chamber 25 (not shown in FIG. 1) of theextraction head 20. The holding means 33 of the capsule-holder 30 canform, for example, a cup with a bottom with an inner shape complementaryto the shape of the capsule 24 and comprising a central outlet forallowing the beverage to be released from the bottom of the capsule. Ahandhold 32 is connected to the capsule-holder 30 in order to enable aconvenient handling of the capsule-holder 30. The capsule-holdercomprises side guiding means 63 for guiding the insertion of thecapsule-holder in the chamber of the device. An lower edge 61 and aupper edge 62 can be provided on each side of the capsule-holder whichcan be slightly inclined relative to each other in the front directionof the capsule-holder so as to form a “wedged” guiding shape asdescribed in co-pending European patent application No. 07103613.1.Furthermore, the capsule-holder 30 includes a front cover 31, whichcovers the aperture 22 when the capsule-holder is inserted into saidaperture 22.

The device further comprises a main switch 50 b and a plurality ofcontrol indicators 50 c which may inform the user about the operatingstatus of the device 50.

FIG. 2 shows the extraction head 20 of the device 50 when seen from aside view. As can be seen in the figure, the closing mechanism 21 is inan open state. Preferably the closing mechanism may be operated by alever protruding from the housing 50 a of the device 50. Morepreferably, the lever protrudes from the extraction head 20 of thedevice 50.

Since the closing mechanism 21 is connected to the injection member 10of the device, a relative movement between the injection member 10 and arear wall 15 of the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25 is enabled whenoperating the closing mechanism 21. Thus, when the closing mechanism 21is in an open state, the injection member 10 is in a lifted position.Accordingly, the capsule-holder 30 can be inserted to the aperture 22 ofthe extraction head 20 and a capsule 24 housed by the capsule-holder 30can be effectively be supplied to the capsule-holder receiving chamber25 of the device.

In order to enclose the capsule 24 within the capsule-holder receivingchamber 25, the user may operate the closing mechanism 21 and hencebring the closing mechanism 21 in a closed state. Thereby, the injectionmember 10 is lowered from its lifted position to a lowered position ofinjection against the capsule 24 so that the capsule 24 within thecapsule-holder receiving chamber 25 is effectively enclosed. Whenenclosing the capsule 24, a protruding needle element 11 provided to theinjection member 10 effectively pierces an upper surface 24 a of thecapsule 24.

In a preferred embodiment, the capsule-holder 30 may not be inserted toor withdrawn from the aperture 22 of the extraction head 20 when theclosing mechanism 21 is in a closed position. For instance, a stop means10 a may be provided on the injection head 20 that cooperates with asurface of the capsule-holder 30 to block the capsule-holder 30 in placein the closing position of the closing mechanism 21. Therefore, thisensures that the needle protruding from the injection member 10 is notdamaged and reconstitution of the beverage is done in optimalconditions.

The aperture 22 is designed so as to receive the capsule-holder 30.Hence, the user is effectively prevented from inserting thecapsule-holder in a wrong way into the aperture 22. Complementaryguiding means 26 are provided inside the capsule-holder receivingchamber 25 which engage the “wedged” guiding means 63 of thecapsule-holder to ensure a correct position of the capsule-holder 30inside the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25.

Furthermore, decoding means 1 are provided on the device 50 in order toenable an interaction, e.g., an exchange of information or a signaldetection of presence, between the device 50 and the capsule-holder 30.In a preferred embodiment according to FIG. 2, the decoding means 1 areprovided at the vicinity of the aperture 22 for inserting thecapsule-holder 30. More preferably, the decoding means 1 are provided atthe rear wall 15 of the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25. Hence, thedecoding means 1 can effectively interact with a capsule-holder 30inserted into the aperture 22 of the extraction head 20.

Preferably, the decoding means 1 are interacting with the capsule-holder30 contactless, magnetically or optically. Thus, the operation of thedecoding means 1 is not affected by residua of coffee, tea or the likewithin the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25. A signal transmitted orsupplied by the capsule-holder can thus effectively be read by thedecoding means 1. Moreover, as the decoding means 1 are recessed intothe housing 50 a of the device 50, they are not subjected toenvironmental influences.

In a preferred embodiment the capsule-holder 30 is equipped with atleast one magnet 28 connected to the front face 30 a of thecapsule-holder 30. Hence, a capsule-holder 30 inserted into the aperture22 is attracted to an iron core or by another magnet 1 a which may beprovided at the rear wall 15 of the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25.In the position of insertion of the capsule-holder 30 in the receivingchamber 25, a magnetic attraction of the magnet 28 and the iron core orother magnet 1 a is established whereby the capsule-holder 30 comes incontact with the rear wall 15 of the chamber 25. Contact may beestablished directly between magnet 28 and iron core or other magnet 1 aor indirectly through a physical engagement of surfaces of thecapsule-holder 30 and the receiving chamber 25 as a result of thecreation of the magnetic field. Therefore, a correct position of thecapsule-holder 30 within the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25 can beassured. For example, the user has to insert the capsule-holder 30 halfthe way or preferably ⅘ths the way within the receiving chamber 25before interlocking between the magnet 28 and the iron core or othermagnet 1 a occurs and the capsule-holder 30 is attracted to rear wall 15of the receiving chamber 25. More preferably, two magnets 28 areprovided symmetrically at the front face 30 a of the capsule-holder 30.Due to this embodiment, a correct locking position of the capsule-holder30 within the aperture 22 can be assured and the closing mechanism 21can be operated by a user. Of course, the magnets 28 of thecapsule-holder 30 could be replaced by ferro-magnetic parts such as ironmembers that magnetically interact with magnets of the device.

The decoding means 1 provided at the device 50 may be a Reed-sensordesigned to detect a magnetic field or any other equivalent electricalor electronical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. Thepresence of a capsule-holder 30 equipped with magnets 28 can thereforebe detected by the decoding means 1. As the decoding means 1 areconnected to the control means 80 (not shown) of the device 50, theoperation of the device 50 can be controlled by the information suppliedby the decoding means 1 to the control means 80. For example, when thepresence of the capsule-holder inside the aperture 22 is detected due tothe decoding means 1, the control means 80 may enable an operation ofthe pump 70 (not shown) and the heater 60 (not shown) in order to enablean operation of the device 50. If no magnetic field is detected andhence, no presence of the capsule-holder 30 is assumed, the device 50remains in a stand-by-mode and the pump 70 cannot be operated.

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional side view of a capsule-holder 30 situatedat the inside of the extraction head 20. Thereby, the closing mechanism21 is in a closed state in which the injection member 10 is in its lowerposition. Hence, the needle element 11 provided at the injection member10 is enabled to pierce the capsule 24 which is housed by the housingmeans 33 of the capsule-holder 30.

In order to enable a relative movement of the injection member 10 andthe capsule-holder 30, the closing mechanism 21 connected to theinjection member 10 comprises pivoting means 21 a and a lever mechanism21 b. The lever mechanism 21 b is preferably a knee lever mechanism. Ofcourse, any other closing or transmission mechanism may be connected tothe injection member 10 in order to enable a relative movement of theinjection member 10 and the capsule 24 to be pierced.

In an embodiment, at least one protruding tooth 10 a is provided at theinjection member 10 to interact with the capsule-holder 30 and preventan insertion or withdrawal of the capsule-holder 30 when the closingmechanism 21 is in a closed state. Accordingly, the needle element 11 ofthe injection member 10 can effectively be prevented from being damaged.

When the capsule-holder 30 is connected to the inside of the extractionhead 20, encoding means 2 provided at the capsule-holder 30 are situatedpreferably in vicinity of the decoding means 1 provided at the device50. Thus, a transmission of information between the encoding means 2connected to the capsule-holder 30 and the decoding means 1 connected tothe device 50 is enabled. Preferably, the encoding means 2 are situatedat a front face 30 a of the capsule-holder 30. The decoding means 1 arepreferably provided at the rear wall 15 of the capsule-holder receivingchamber 25 of the device 50, as shown in the figure.

The injection member 10 is provided with a protruding convex part 12which is situated at the same face of the injection member 10 as theneedle element 11. Thus, the convex part 12 of the injection member 10protrudes into the capsule-holder receiving chamber 25 of the device 10.Preferably, the convex part 12 is located close to the rear wall 15 ofthe capsule-holder receiving chamber 25 in order to engage the upperface 24 a of the capsule 24 and reduce the internal volume of thecapsule as described in co-pending European patent application No.07103613.1 filed on 6 Mar. 2007.

As the pump 70 of the device 50 provides liquid to the needle element 11and thus to the capsule 24 beneath the injection member 10, the liquidis made to interact with the ingredients provided within the capsule 24.In addition, pressure is built up within the capsule 24 due to theliquid introduced by the needle element 11. Accordingly, an outletmembrane 24 b is pressed against reliefs 24 c provided beneath theoutlet membrane 24 b. Hence, the outlet membrane 24 b is opened and thebeverage is poured from the capsule 24 downwardly via an outlet 24 d.Thus, a direct flow principle of the liquid provided by the device 50 isadapted.

The capsule-holder 30 further comprises a water reflector which ispreferably provided at the inside of the housing means 33 for receivingthe capsule 24. The water reflector 3 is preferably a circular recess atthe lower part of the housing means 33.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water reflector 3 is situated at thecapsule-holder 30 such that a capsule 24 can still be provided to thehousing means 33 of the capsule-holder 30. Thus, the water reflector 3does not affect the correct positioning of the capsule 24 within thehousing means 33 of the capsule-holder 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the water reflector 3 is preferably provided at sucha position at the housing means 33 that a water jet 3 a provided by theneedle element 11 can be effectively reflected. Preferably, the waterreflector 3 is designed in such a way that the water jet 3 a isreflected into a water spray or fan 3 b which reaches the lower surface10 b of the injection member 10, as well as the inside 33 a of thehousing means 33 for the capsule 24 of the capsule-holder 30. Thus,especially when hot water is supplied by means of the needle element 11,effective cleaning of the lower surface of the injection element 10 andthe inside 33 a of the housing means 33 can be attained.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a holder 53 which can be insertedinto the aperture 22 of the extraction head 20 of the device 50. Theholder comprises handling means 32 such as a handle bar and a frontcover 31 which covers the aperture 22 of the device 50 when the holder53 is inserted into the aperture 22.

Moreover, the holder 53 comprises means 34 for separating the liquidprovided by the device 50. Thus, the liquid can be effectively providedto two separate outlets 34 a, 34 b connected to the separating means 34.Accordingly, a user of the device 50 can place two receptacles beneaththe holder 53 connected to the machine and hence obtain two beveragesprovided by the machine in a convenient way. The holder 53 may as wellcomprise means such as a sieve for receiving conventional tea leaves orthe like in order to prepare tea with the device 50.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a water injection insert 36 replaces thecapsule-holder. The insert comprises a base 54 comprising guiding sidemeans 63 with lower and upper edges 61, 62. The base further comprises awater injection interface 37 designed to alter the conditions ofinjection of the water injection member 11 of the device. For example,the water injection interface 37 comprises a water connector 38 withsealing means such as a rubber pad comprising a central aperture 64 forreceiving the needle of the injection member 11. At the bottom of theinsert several injection outlets 39 are provided to spread water into aplurality of pressure reduced water jets. Like in the preceding modes,the insert 36 comprises a front face 30 a in which a magnet orferro-magnetic element 28 is embedded which is intended to bemagnetically attracted by a magnet 1 a or iron core positioned at therear wall 15 of the receiving chamber 25.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, another insert for beverage frothing 51 is representedwhich comprises a handle 32 and a base 54 with side guiding means 63complementary to the guiding means 26 of the receiving chamber and athrough-passage 52 enabling the injection member to be disclosed whenthe insert is locked in place in the device. In this embodiment, theinsert 51 only serves the purpose to establish the magnetic contact withthe device when it is inserted in place in the device and thus enablesthe device to deliver water through the injection member 11 and directlyto a receptacle placed beneath the receiving chamber 25. In this case,the water injection from the injection member 11 is not altered and ahigh pressure jet from the injection member 11 can be maintained tofroth a beverage ingredient placed in the receptacle. For instance, theinsert 51 may be placed in the device when liquid milk must be frothedwith the water jet directed to the receptacle in order to prepare acappuccino.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and alternations maybe made by a person having ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the scope of this invention which is defined by the appendedclaims. For example, other accessories may be connected to the device inorder to make use of the liquid jet provided by the device. For example,the water jet may be used for frothing milk or making Latte Macchiato.These accessories may as well be equipped with encoding means in orderto interact with the decoding means provided at the device.

1. A device for preparing a beverage from a food substance contained ina capsule by injection of a liquid into the capsule, wherein the liquidis supplied by a pump of the device, the device comprising: anextraction head having an aperture for inserting a capsule-holderproviding the capsule in a capsule-holder receiving chamber of thedevice; a closing mechanism to selectively enclose the capsule in thecapsule-holder receiving chamber; at least one injection member tosupply a liquid received from the pump to an inside of the capsule; acontrol unit for controlling at least the pump of the device; anddecoding means connected to the control unit for reading informationfrom the capsule-holder.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein thedecoding means are designed to detect the presence of thecapsule-holder.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the decodingmeans are situated within the aperture for inserting the capsule-holder.4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit of the deviceis designed to enable an operation of the pump of the device dependingon the information read by the decoding means.
 5. A device according toclaim 1, wherein the control unit of the device is designed to adjust atleast one operational parameter of the device depending on theinformation read by the decoding means from the capsule-holder.
 6. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein interaction between thecapsule-holder and the decoding means of the device is contactless.
 7. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the capsule-holder and the decodingmeans of the device interact by a method selected from the groupconsisting of optically, magnetically and by contact.
 8. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the decoding means comprises a Reed sensordesigned to detect a magnetic field.
 9. A device according to claim 1,wherein a transmitted code provided to the decoding means of the deviceby the capsule-holder is a programmable or non programmable code.
 10. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein a ferromagnetic material isprovided within the aperture of the extraction head in order to attracta capsule-holder inserted into the aperture.
 11. A system for preparinga beverage from a food substance contained in a single-use capsule byinjection of a liquid into the capsule, comprising: a device and acapsule-holder comprising means for receiving a capsule; the liquid isprovided by a pump of the device, the device comprising: an extractionhead having an aperture for inserting a capsule in the capsule-holderreceiving chamber of the device, a closing mechanism to selectivelyenclose the capsule in the capsule-holder receiving chamber, at leastone injection member which supplies a liquid received from the pump tothe inside of the capsule, a control unit for controlling at least thepump of the device, and decoding means connected to the control unit forreading information from the capsule-holder, wherein the control unitenables a liquid supply to the capsule-holder receiving chamber when nocapsule-holder is in the device, the system further comprises an insertcomprising guiding means for engaging in the capsule-holder receivingchamber and encoding means for interacting with the decoding meansprovided at the device.
 12. System according to claim 11, wherein theinsert is a capsule-holder or an ingredient-holder for receiving looseingredients.
 13. System according to claim 11, wherein the insert isadapted for altering the conditions of the supply of liquid from theinjection member.
 14. System according to claim 11, wherein the insertcomprises means for achieving a feature selected from the groupconsisting of reducing the pressure of the supplied liquid and/ormodifying the direction of the jet(s) of the supplied liquid.
 15. Aninsert designed for insertion into a device for preparing a beveragefrom ingredients contained in a capsule by injection of a liquid intothe capsule, comprising: a handle, a base with a guiding member and,encoding means for interaction with decoding means provided at thedevice the insert is designed to be inserted into.
 16. The insert ofclaim 15, wherein the insert comprises a capsule-holder comprising aholder in the base for receiving a capsule therein.
 17. The insertaccording to claim 15, wherein the encoding means of the insert aredesigned to interact via a magnetic field.
 18. The insert according toclaim 15, wherein the insert comprises at least one magnet attached toat least one face of the insert.
 19. The insert according to claim 15,wherein the encoding means of the insert are designed to interactoptically.
 20. The insert according to claim 17, wherein the encodingmeans is a geometrical form of the insert.
 21. The insert according toclaim 1, wherein the insert comprises means for detecting and decodinginformation transmitted by an object received by the insert.
 22. Theinsert according to claim 15, wherein the base comprises injectioninterface means for altering the injection conditions of the waterinjection member of the device.
 23. The insert according to claim 15,wherein the base comprises a through-passage designed to leave a freespace for the injection member of the device.
 24. A capsule-holderdesigned for insertion into an aperture of a device for preparing abeverage from ingredients contained in a capsule by injection of aliquid into the capsule, comprising a means for receiving a capsule, anda deflector deflecting a jet of liquid provided by the device which ispositioned at the inner side of the means for receiving the capsule. 25.A capsule-holder according to claim 24, wherein the deflector isdesigned to reflect a fluid jet that impacts on the inner surface of themeans for receiving the capsule in a spray or fan.
 26. A device forpreparing a beverage contained in a capsule by injection of a liquidinto the capsule comprising: an extraction head having an aperture forreceiving a capsule holder comprising the capsule; a closing mechanismto enclose the capsule in a chamber; at least one injection membersupplying a liquid received from the pump to the inside of the capsule;a control unit for controlling at least the pump of the device; and adecoder connected to the control unit and designed to read informationfrom the capsule-holder.